《Dragon Destiny》


 The Journey

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    <h2 style="text-align: center">The Great Dragons can bring Death or Life Eternal...</h2>


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    A Knight speaks to a god, ¡°Oh great and powerful god, I have done as you asked. Hiding the item in his room, he will be found guilty of the crime and banished as you require. What more can I do?¡±


    The great god replied, ¡°You will follow him, help him. You will go north also.¡±


    The Knight replied, ¡°Wise god of old, when will I get my rewards? When will my destiny be fulfilled? When shall my family rule the lands again?¡±


    The wise god of old stepped forward from the shadows revealing a sneeron hisface as the firelight flickered across his teeth.


    As he slowly formed his words, he answered the Knight, ¡°Once you have arrived far in the north to the Fire Islands, then you shall reap your just rewards.¡±


    The Knight of the lands smiled, happy. And so, in a dark corner of an inn, they continued to plot and contrive the best path forward. The path that sends Sir James and Sir Bryan far far away to the north. The path created by a god who desires to control the fate of many.


    **********


    Sir James and Sir Bryan, Knights of the land, had been stripped of their titles, holdings, and banished. Only by slaying a dragon could they prove their metal to King Darnell. To bring the heart of a dragon was to give eternal life to its holder. That was the price. While their innocence was proclaimed, proof was lacking. Without options to consider, they set out to journey into the North. Far from home to the Fire Islands their goal, home of the rumored giant dragons of old. Fierce and deadly, none could survive the encounter. Desperate to clear their names, even in death their honor would survive. Having been stripped of armor and weapons they sat in front of their fire discussing their plight.


    ¡°Sir Bryan, I fear we can only succeed with armor and weapons of magic. The old stories proclaim our death before we nigh even meet our foe. Only by finding favor of the Elven Gods might we procure a way to prevail. We should seek out a good smithy in Elfwood. Contract a fine weapons and armor master to undertake our needs. Without good Elven magic, our failure is assured.¡±


    Sir Bryan replied, ¡°Your wisdom will save us, brother. I was in the midst of planning my pyre as I felt our goal was hopeless. Maybe our lives shall be longer with your keen mind to save us. Tis a blessing that I had saved a few silver. Me thinks it will not be enough. Mayhap we can offer more in trade to at least gain enchanted weapons. Elven weapons will greatly improve our chances.¡±


    It was agreed. Off to Elfwood city to hire the forging of weapons and armor. Knowing they were lacking, hope filled their hearts that maybe, just maybe, an elf would take pity on two knights needing. Especially if it was told of their purpose as slaying a dragon would make legends of any smith whose weapons or armor were used in such a wild endeavor. Sir James smiled as he considered it all. Why should he not? To slay a dragon was the dream of any knight. It was the knowledge of the outcome that kept any from trying. The far journey into the north was a perilous undertaking all by itself. Few survived that alone. Yet to consider facing a thirty-foot tall dragon with claws as big as your arm was suicide. It was unheard of except in olden times. Back when wizards were many and knights sought glory with valorous ideas of peril. Yet it was those old tales which warned all of the stupidity of such things.


    I suppose you could say that the stupidity of the past Knights has led to the wisdom of today¡¯s Knights of the lands. You definitely would not describe a knight of today as stupid, maybe brave but that was pushing the matter a bit much, maybe wise but never stupid. In our times Knights were educated to grand heights of knowledge, given great Keeps to own and lands to oversee. Yet that also might be the divining thoughts of the greed of the King as he collects a grand percentage from all such endeavors. Also, he gains small armies spread across his land. Each Knight¡¯s keep represents a decent force of soldiers, all at the beck and call of their King.


    So then with a glimmer of hope and a strong desire to clear their name, Sir Bryan and Sir James spread their bed skins in preparation for a good night¡¯s sleep. After picketing their horses for grazing nearby, Sir James took one last swig from the water skin as he lay down for the night. It was only by chance that he still had a small dagger on his belt as Sir Bryan had been stripped of all his weapons. Sir James had kept one small dagger hidden in his boot. Being weaponless was more than he could bear. If not for that one blessing on such a dark and bleak night, it would have been his last.


    Not being used to traveling abroad, they set no guard for the night. A mistake usually not associated with wisdom, one that could have led to their death. Sir James was resting quietly on his comfortable bed skin as Sir Bryan began to snore. It was Sir Bryan¡¯s snoring that woke him. As he lay there trying to go back to sleep, at the edge of his mind something kept attempting to capture his attention. An annoyance was creeping into his thoughts. He was beginning to be irritated. In his groggy state; he refused to pay attention to his feelings, preferring instead to continue his progress to find oblivion as he knew the forthcoming journey would include much pain and possible death. It would be a long journey and an impossible task. Now his very rest was at risk, his anger was building. Just as his thoughts were beginning to form into curses against the world itself, the realization that some noise in the background was being masked by Sir Bryan¡¯s snoring. Before he even bothered to open his eyes, the sound reminded him of a childhood experience.Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


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    While growing up, his family had traveled to many foreign lands. Of course it was in luxury and the finest of all things. Still, he remembers that day when the night was in full swing and he had snuck out of his family¡¯s tent. He wanted to get a peek at one of the local girl¡¯s village without his parents knowing. He was in his early teens after all. Girls were keen on his mind, especially foreign girls which were all the more a mystery to him. He had spoken to this one very beautiful girl named Alena. She taunted him, daring him to find her that night if he was brave enough. Her, a daughter of the local tribal leader of the Bendal Clan, mostly goat herders but very powerful and quick to fight if offended. They were fierce fighters when provoked. Sir James was a stubborn lad, refusing to shy away from such a challenge.


    He was making good time getting there. He would show her just how brave he was. Just as he approached her father¡¯s enclosure, he began to notice a strange humming noise in the air around him. It wasn¡¯t loud really. Just beneath the normal sounds of his surroundings it almost blended into the night perfectly. If not for the fact that he had never heard anything like it before, he might have been caught off guard. Just as he turned to look behind him, the most horrible beast resembling a giant scorpion with wings about four feet long came whizzing down on him from above. The sight of it caused him to stumble, saving his life as the tail of the beast shot directly for the center of his chest. Instead of hitting him dead on, it simply brushed along the top of his head.


    This gave him just the time he needed to pull out his sword to exchange blows. Leaping to his feet he prepared his defense. Those sword classes would now pay off. The creature had swung around, coming back for another go at him. Dodging aside as it attempted to impale him, he slashed down, watching in slow motion as half its wing tumbled to the side causing it to veer down and to the left as it smashed into a tree. Everything happened so quickly, yet to Sir James, it was as if time had slowed. This astounded Sir James. Everything was moving in slow motion except for him. Sir James quickly moved towards the beast slicing down as the creature slowly turned. Before the creature could even turn halfway, a large chunk its tail was falling to the dirt. Drops of black ooze settling into a pattern of raindrops flitting nicely to each side of the partial tail. Sir James marveled at his ability to manipulate time. It was an unexpected mystery to him but a wonderful thing.


    Pushing forward Sir James lopped off the head of the creature, finishing the battle before it had hardly begun. Suddenly, time found its footing once more pulling Sir James back into the moment. This is when he noticed eyes looking at him from the shadows. It was the girl, Alena. She had seen the whole affair. Sir James smiled back into her stunned gaze. He watched as she suddenly closed her mouth that had just been gaping wide.


    She quickly asked, ¡°How did you do that? You were like a ghost, shooting from place to place as the creature fell to pieces. How is this possible? Are you a god?¡±


    Sir James smile grew brighter as he explained, ¡°No Alena, I am but a man, just as you.¡±


    That was years ago in his youth and he had actually wanted to marry Alena, his parents had forbade it. After all, Sir James was destined to be a knight. His blood was of noble heritage. He would never be allowed to marry a commoner, let alone one such as her.


    **********


    Sir James recognized that sound, reaching for his dagger he focused on the direction of the sound. Knowing what was coming he prepared himself. This time the creature was not a baby. Instead of the four foot long wings, this one had a good thirty-foot span giving it twelve-foot wings. It must¡¯ve been a good fifteen feet long. The tail being pushed beneath it, aimed at Sir James as it planned to finish him in one swoop. Just as in his youth time retreated leaving his task much easier. Rushing forward, Sir James leapt into the air, driving his dagger deep into the heart of the beast. Pulling his blade out, upon landing he stepped forward quickly as he sliced off the pointed spearhead meant to deliver its poison. Calming his mind, Sir James released his grasp on time, watching the beast slam into the ground sending a cloud of dust and debris through the forest just behind them. As it flailed, dying from the death blow, Sir Bryan awoke.


    Knowing the need to keep his identity secret, Sir James feigned exhaustion, not wanted to risk exposing what must not be known.


    Wiping sleep from his eyes Sir Bryan asked, ¡°What the blazes is going on? Can¡¯t a man rest in peace?¡±


    Then as Sir Bryan took in the scene around him, his eyes cleared expanding as full moon orbs in astonishment.


    ¡°May the god of fire protect us! What has befallen us in our sleep?¡±


    As he watched the beast in its last moments of life, he looked from it to Sir James, mouth wide, eyes staring; he appeared to be at a loss for words.


    Sir James replied, ¡°It was just a horrid beast seeking dinner. It happened so fast, I had no time to rouse you.¡±


    Sir James could not allow his secret to be exposed. His nightmares come to life. Acting as though he had just gone through a heavy ordeal, Sir James found the nearest tree to lean against. No one could know his identity or the myth surrounding his abilities. He had no desire to fulfill the prophecy, no desire to rule the lands. He would remain simply, Sir James.


    ¡°Sir Bryan, we should gather some of the parts of this beast, it will make for good trading. The tail tip, eyes, poison organ along with a few scales should buy us the best weapons and armor from the elves. This was a blessing in disguise.¡±


    This diverted Sir Bryan from thinking about how I had slain the beast while he slept. I could see it was working. His facial expression changed from one of confusion to one of contemplation, a good sign.


    Sir Bryan hesitated one last time, looking back at me. I could tell his ideas of my prowess had shifted, shifted a lot. He looked at me as if I were a god or something.


    ¡°Sir James, you should get some rest, I¡¯ll see to the beast. Then I¡¯ll stand guard for a few hours, I¡¯ll wake you later. I can see we should keep watch at night. The woods are very dangerous. If not for your valor, we would both be naught but food for this vile creature.¡±


    I nodded, continuing to feign weakness, breathing heavy as I held my shoulders drooping to lend it support. I shuffled off to lie on my bed skin. Having handed Sir Bryan my dagger, I could hear him putting it to use; the sickly sounds of it lulling me into the darkness of rest. My dreams were filled with the horrors of the prophecy, my parent''s death, the land in turmoil, farmlands burning. The cleansing it was called. The day when our people must face their sins, it is said, the day when the great god of destruction comes again.


    I don¡¯t believe in fairy tales or prophecies. While magic is real and many vile beasts roam the lands, the old tales of gods and their destruction on the world is nothing more than stories to scare small children into obedience, nothing more. When Sir Bryan woke me, I felt as if I had not even slept, my dreams having tormented me.


    The night proved peaceful, leaving us to continue our path without incident, our trip to Elfwood city without further incident.

 The Pendant

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    <h1>Life has a way of filling each need...</h1>


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    Once we arrived in Elfwood we sought out the best armor and weapons smith. Not just any weapons smith, one that could make magic weapons and armor. Even where we hailed from, the elves in Elfwood were famous for their magic weapons and armor. It would take very powerful weapons and armor to keep us alive while we hunted dragons. There was no doubt about that. It was unheard of to hunt dragons, at least not to succeed at it. Many stories of failures were all that was left. If dragons came through, all anyone could do was take cover and hope they would go on their way.


    Mostly dragons just slept they say. As long as no one bothers them, they wouldn¡¯t bother you. At least that is what most said. Stories would rise now and then of one rampaging a town or settlement, but they never stayed long. I had never seen a dragon myself. I had met a few who told stories of having seen one, but my eyes were still virgin to it. I could only imagine the sight of it, the glorious idea of just seeing one. But we were planning on killing one. We didn¡¯t have a choice. It was a law of the land. Anyone who brings the king a dragon heart will be pardoned for any crime. The logic of it is that anyone who is able to actually kill a dragon must be innocent of their crimes. How else could the gods actually allow them to be successful in slaying a dragon? So it was always taught. I just figured the law was a way to get rid of criminals, sending them to their death. I doubt that the heart of a dragon actually even gives eternal life as the priests say.


    Like I said, I¡¯m sure it was only a way to dispose of known criminals. It appeared to work well as none had ever returned to claim their reward.


    Her name was Mileka. She was a renowned smithy. She is rather beautiful for an elf. But elves never seemed to age so I couldn¡¯t tell how old she was. When I looked in her eyes I could see wisdom. Wisdom comes with age so I would guess she¡¯s a bit older as elves go. I explained our predicament, needing the best weapons and armor she could forge. She seemed very pleased with our payment. The creature¡¯s parts were so rare and valuable that she was willing to do more than we needed. Luckily for us she already had been working on exactly what we needed. A few adjustments and a trip to the priest would accomplish our desire. The armor would protect us from dragon breath, their claws also, at least to an extent. Personally, I liked what she explained. It would be enough to help us in our quest.


    The weapons, after the priest finished, would more than do the job. Their edge empowered to cut the toughest hide or scale. We felt confident now, confident that we stood a chance no matter how slim that chance was. At least now we had a chance. That meant a lot to us. The smithy told us to come back in three days. That would give her enough time to finish and give the priest time to place the blessing on our armor and weapons. We decided to hole up in the inn as we now had coins to spare not having to spend them on weapons and armor.


    Everything was good again. Life had meaning anew, even if it was found in redemption. Life had been unfair to us. Yet we had not figured out who or what it was that had framed us. A local merchant had been murdered, a theft of a goblet with large gems had been placed in my bed chamber under my bed and Sir Bryan had suffered a similar lot as they found the twin goblet under his bed. Why did they even search our homes? It was as if someone wanted us dead or gone. It was a total mystery to us. The magistrate refused to hear our pleas. We were guilty because they had the proof in hand. It was an open and shut case. No trial, no jury, just the judgement of guilt. Hauled to the edge of town and ordered to leave the country or suffer death. With barely clothes on our backs and a few coins hidden in our belts, we fled the city.


    We were both young, not having married yet. Barely finishing our training we were just preparing to settle into our keeps. Without even having time to build our numbers for protection, our households were empty. We had spent a bit of time together at the training halls so we knew each other well enough. Our families did not believe us when we were charged with the crimes. Instead they turned their backs on us to show their displeasure, dishonoring us. We had no choice, no support from family. It was a travesty. So life was unfair. No use wallowing in despair.


    So we wiled our time away at the tavern in the inn. We sold the claws of the foul beast for many gold pieces, enough to furnish a keep with all its needs. So we lacked for nothing now. The next day we took a visit to the local Taylor, leaving with outfits to spare. After all, we were headed north. While the islands were called Fire Islands, it was still a hard trek through freezing lands. I wanted to make sure we were prepared. Thick fur lined blankets was not enough. Special blankets were needed. We made a detour to the back alleyways. I had heard many stories of the traders who frequented those places and the wares of exotic lands. And so we found what we sought, bed rolls from Banders of the Far East. The Banders were beasts that could withstand very high temperatures of the deserts. This was what made their skins so well suited for the north. While high temperatures had no effect on them, neither did cold. It had something to do with the way the skins processed temperatures. If you were on one side of the skin, then whatever temperature you released, hot or cold, the opposite temperature would be repelled from the other side and vice versa, really amazing actually. Some thought they were naturally magical creatures but it seemed just a normal part of their makeup. While the bed roles were a bit expensive, we still had plenty of coin to spare.The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.


    On the final night at the inn we were having drinks in the tavern. As we sat and enjoyed the minstrel¡¯s storytelling I noticed a hooded stranger sitting in the shadowed corner. It was if I could feel their gaze burning through me, yet every time I looked their way they would turn away. It was nothing out of the ordinary and it wasn¡¯t noticeable but I could feel it, sense it. But we were light of spirit and in a joyous mood. Everything was coming together in perfection. Tomorrow our armor and weapons would be ready for us to pick up. We would be on our way to redeem our names.


    I was keeping an eye on the stranger in the corner. I looked away for but a moment when I looked back the stranger was gone. That was strange. No one could move that quickly. The corner was way on the far side away from us. There was nowhere they could have gone so quickly. Sir Bryan noticed as I caught my breath and stiffened. Looking in the direction of my gaze he brushed my shoulder as he asks me.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong Sir James? You act like you have seen a spirit or a witch.¡±


    I replied, ¡°A stranger has been watching us from the corner. Suddenly they disappeared. It isn¡¯t natural. Something is out of place Sir Bryan.¡±


    Sir Bryan began to scan the room. I too looked all around. But the stranger was gone. It was as if they had not even been there at all. Not only that but I seemed to be the only one who noticed. Well, what can you do? Stranger things have happened and stories to share even stranger. Something to think on but it would have to be another day. We were in too pleasant of a mood to ruin it with the fears of things beyond our control. As the evening played out we found ourselves singing to the bard¡¯s song. The entertainment in the tavern was very good. That was one of the major reasons we had chosen this place to begin with. We knew we would be here for three days and desired the entertainment in the evenings. Knowing we were headed into desolate areas and solitude away from others, we purposely sought out this place.


    Our attention was on the bard to our side. As the song ended, we turned our attention back to our drinks. This was when I noticed the stranger was back in the corner. I nudged Sir Bryan, pointing to the cloaked stranger. Sir Bryan at first blinked in confusion; squinting into the shadows he spotted the cloaked figure in the corner. Nodding his head I could see he understood.


    ¡°They¡¯re back.¡± I said.


    Sir Bryan only nodded. While I generally would have thought it was a man, I could not be sure as they were wearing a hooded cloak. They did not make any defining motions or movements for me to determine their gender so I could not say for sure that they were a man or woman. Their garb did not give them away and while most women had defining curves of the upper body, this one sat in shadows, hiding their features well. We found ourselves staring into the shadows at a stranger. Sour looks painted our faces. It dawned on me just how we must appear. As I looked at Sir Bryan, that is when I noticed, I decided not to be concerned of this stranger any longer. I raised my cup of southern ale high and made a toast to Sir Bryan. Sir Bryan joined in with our clanging of cups together in fun. It was short lived as suddenly across the table from us appeared the cloaked stranger.


    As we both gasped from the sudden arrival of our new guest. Another impossible task, moving from across the room to our table so quickly, yet no one seemed to notice but us. We froze in astonishment suddenly. I could see clearly now, it was a man beneath the cloak. His eyes appeared to glow or maybe I was imagining it. Yet I watched as a smile spread across his face. That was reassuring though. Yet caution still screamed at me. Nothing about this man was normal. It dawned on me that his smile was probably because of the obvious looks of astonishment on our faces. So I sat my cup down slowly as a solemn expression spread across my face.


    I decided to find an answer to the mystery, ¡°Who are you?¡±


    It kind of came out before I could really think my question out properly. But I knew it had to be asked. I knew the stranger was expecting as much also. It was as if the stranger controlled my voice, knowing exactly what to do so that I would say those exact words to them. Their reaction proved exactly that. As the smile faded slightly, they pulled something from their belt, quietly sliding it onto the table as it clanked onto the wood I felt a silent hand tear deep into my chest as if something struck me there. It was only a feeling but one that actually hurt as if it was real. It made me jerk slightly as I felt it reverberate through me. That small sound it made as it pushed onto the table. How strange, I thought, that such a simple thing could touch me so strongly, a tiny sound but one of great force which shot through me unexpectedly.


    Yet I could tell that the stranger knew exactly what transpired. As I flinched, a softness settled around his eyes. He then reached up and drew his hood down showing his full features.


    Then he spoke, ¡°I am Sorin. Where are you traveling to?¡±


    As he pulled his hand back I could plainly see a pendant was staring back, just sitting there on the table as if it had meaning. A gold colored pendant shaped as a half circle with one side all jagged as if it had been torn into two pieces.


    I didn¡¯t want to tell this stranger where we were going so I lied, ¡°We are only traveling. We have not chosen any particular destination yet.¡±


    Sorin stood then. As if it was only normal for him to do so at this juncture in our conversation.


    Then he asked us again, ¡°Where are you going?¡±


    Sir Bryan decided to answer this time, ¡°What does it matter where we are going?¡±


    Sorin replied, ¡°You look like you are far from home on a dangerous journey of a Lord or King. You are seeking to return home but must finish your journey first.¡±


    Sir Bryan stated, ¡°You must be mistaking us for others.¡±


    Then he only turned to walk out of the tavern leaving us staring after him with our mouths agape.


    Sir Bryan picked up the pendant. As he turned it over I could clearly make out carvings and writings on the backside. Yet as he was turning it a glimmer of firelight reflected off the words carved on the back in just such a way as to send me spinning into darkness as I watched events play out in my mind. I¡¯m not sure what was happening but it was like a vivid dream was playing out. Strangers were in it but then everything went black as I felt a solid surface hit me in the face.

 The Elven God Fen鈥橦arel

    <h2>Life has a way of filling each need...</h2>


    Mileka had finished preparing the armor and weapons for the two Knights. The cleric had called forth their God to bless each weapon and the armor, making them very powerful, all in exchange for one scale of the vile beast. That one scale could be carefully treated, ground up, and then used to give many pieces of armor special abilities. One scale was all that was needed as it was a living piece of armor which would grow over time. Grind it up after treating it and it would continue to expand for years to come. Treating leather armor with it provided near impenetrable material which could not be pierced or slashed except with very powerful weapons. Basically, only weapons of great magical abilities designed to do exactly that, cut or pierce things which generally could not be cut or pierced.


    She knew the two Knights would arrive in the morning to pick up their items. As she prepared for sleep, something beyond her imagination took place. There was no way she would have foreseen such a thing ever happening, at least, not to her. As she cleaned up after her evening meal, going back into her shop she cleaned up there, putting everything in its proper place. Then the final act before she was to turn in, placing her nightly gift to Fen''Harel, The Dread Wolf, the only remaining Elven God that walked the planet. She knew his ways and so she always left him a coin or gem. Every night, she would leave it beside a hidden statue in a closeted area. No one knew it was there except her. Yet every morning when she began her day, the gift would be gone.


    She never asked him for anything. She believed she had actually met him years ago when he had helped another elf with a problem, even though it was a cunning answer to the elf¡¯s problem, she felt he was only misunderstood. All Elves considered him mischievous and untrustworthy, except for one, Mileka Frost Fist. Mileka was one of the best armorers in the lands, not to mention the best weapons smith. She had more treasures put up than most elves could earn in a lifetime. The only reason she continued to create new things was her passion of the trade. She loved doing it. She poured her heart into her creations.


    So when a shadow appeared in her path after she had left a coin beside the statue of Fen¡¯Harel, her dagger instantly appeared in her hand. Her action received a gleeful chuckle from the dark form just in front of her.


    ¡°This is the way you treat your God?¡±


    Mileka was caught off guard by this message.


    ¡°Step out of the shadows oh great God.¡± she replied, continuing to hold her dagger pointed at the shadowed figure.


    As light from the candle in her other hand fell across Fen¡¯Harel¡¯s face, Mileka recognized him instantly.


    Going down to her knees, Mileka dropped the dagger to the floor.


    ¡°Forgive me Fen¡¯Harel; I would never have drawn my blade if I had known it was you.


    Ignoring her words, he stepped forward, taking Mileka by the hand he pulled her to her feet.


    ¡°Stand Mileka Frost Fist, you of all elves, has earned my trust and honor. For over a century, you have gifted me of coin or gem every day. I might proclaim that no god has ever amassed such an amount from one individual without hearing many requests for favors. Yet you have never in all that time requested a single thing from me. What do you hope to gain from me Mileka Frost Fist?¡±


    Mileka stood, lifted her gaze to peer into his eyes. ¡°Fen¡¯Harel, my gifts to you have only been to show my support to you and my admiration of you. When I was a little younger, I witnessed you assist another elf in your own way. While other elves feel your deeds are on the order of mischief, I only feel you are misunderstood. So I have chosen to support you and your deeds in my own way. I seek nothing from you in return.¡±


    ¡°Well Mileka Frost Fist, I have brought a gift for you this day, a telling, or prophecy, which I freely present to you. Listen and heed my words carefully Mileka Frost Fist, fore you are destined to rule all the lands as my daughter-in-law.¡±


    Mileka listened to his tale with excitement filling her veins. Could it be true? Had Fen¡¯Harel chosen me as his daughter-in-law? Yet he refused to tell me who his son was or how this would happen. Would his son agree to such a thing? Did his son even know about me? I feared to ask him such questions. I began to wonder if he were using a twist on words as he so often did to those elves he helped in the past. So I decided not to get overly excited for the moment. See where things went. He demanded that I travel north tomorrow though. Then he vanished just as suddenly as he had appeared. It was his calling card after all. Never stick around any longer than necessary. Still, something was going on and it was aimed right at me. I felt like I had a bullseye painted on my back. That was an uncomfortable feeling though.If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    The next morning I rose early, prepared to travel. I made arrangements to have my shop tended by a young couple who had inquired many times in the past about taking over my shop. The husband was a very talented blacksmith. He could create weapons and armor with the best but he preferred more common work such as needed by the local builders. Well, I would rent my shop and tools out to them while I was gone. That way if things went sour on me, I could always come back and pick up where I left off.


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    <h2>I woke the next day in my room. Sir Bryan said I passed OUT; that I must have DRUNK too much. Me, I couldn¡¯t remember what happened. It was all muddled in my head. I was watching Sir Bryan as he held the pendant and then I woke in my bed the next morning. How strange is that? Well, it was no matter. We were off to get our new armor and weapons this morning. I was rather excited. In all my days I had never had the best armor or weapons. This was new to both Sir Bryan and ME. Rarely did Knights spend the kind of fortune WE JUST did on such fine armor and weapons. There was no need in the lands for such things these days. Yet our quest demanded such things if we were to survive. Not that we likely would. A dragon would not die so easily. It was unheard of really. I could not even remember the last time someone had actually accomplished such a thing. Not in my lifetime.</h2>


    I wasn¡¯t sure what it would take to kill a dragon. I mean, there was no one to ask such things of. Well, I just realized, maybe there was someone who we could ask. Elves and Dwarves lived hundreds of years and longer. Maybe Mileka would know of someone we could seek advice from. I mentioned it to Sir Bryan. His face brightened at the idea. More hope for us. I smiled also just thinking it over. The hopeless was growing less hopeless every minute. Yes, things were changing for us. We might have a future after all. I told Sir Bryan we should approach this whole concept patiently and seek wisdom. The better we understood dragons, the greater chance we had of slaying one.


    We gathered our things, headed for the blacksmith. Our items should be ready this morning. As we arrived, we noticed Mileka chatting with a young couple inside her shop. We stepped inside, seeing our new items against the far wall, we headed directly for them. All shiny and new, they sparkled at us. It was the kid in us, getting something new we couldn¡¯t help ourselves. I watched Mileka notice our excitement as she smiled. I knew I had a grin on my face to beat all, Sir Bryan also. His step picked up as we drew closer. He went right for the two handed longsword. I knew he would, as he had always showed favor of such weapons in the past. Me, I favored more intricate devices so I relished the twin samurai blade. Now that was a weapon. You could hold it with two hands or simply depress the button on the end of the handle to free up the one handed pair. Now you had a long one in your main hand and a second which was about a foot shorter for your off hand, a very ingenious design. My favorite weapon was the samurai and I favored a second weapon. It was like destiny had called forth this very weapon, just for me.


    The armor, elven chain link, was spectacular. No dragon claws would pierce it nor dragon fire to harm me either. I felt secure in the knowledge that maybe, just maybe, we might survive an encounter with a dragon after all. Not that I felt like we could kill one, but at least we could try and survive to live another day. I was very pleased with our new weapons and armor. Then I spotted the bows. I had forgotten them. Sir Bryan loved the sturdy feel of the crossbow. Me, I always loved the feel of a good longbow. So the elven long bow would serve me well.


    As we were admiring Mileka¡¯s handiwork, she finished her discussion with the elven couple and came over to us. After she fitted the armor to us, making a few minor adjustments, it was finished. Sir Bryan and I were very pleased with her work, telling her as much. She seemed content with our reactions. Then just as we were about to leave her shop with our new items stowed away on our new pack horses, Mileka walked over to us.


    ¡°Might I ask you your destination Sir Knights.¡±, Mileka asked.


    I responded quickly, ¡°We are headed to the north to the Fire Islands.¡±


    Then I realized, I should have only said to the north. Fire Islands was not a place where anyone visited, unless they were on a mission to die.


    I could tell that Mileka was surprised to hear that as her eyes widened suddenly.


    Then she asked us, ¡°I too am headed to the Fire Islands. Would it be possible if I traveled with you?¡±


    I looked at Sir Bryan who only shrugged his shoulders as if to say he didn¡¯t mind.


    ¡°Looks like you are welcome to travel with us.¡± I smiled as this was working out very well.


    Maybe Mileka would have knowledge she could share with us about how to slay a dragon. Things continued to look up for us. Mileka mentioned she would be right back. After walking around back of her shop, she returned with a beautiful black horse with a brown mare with several packs following. She led them out, nodding she was ready to travel.


    I nodded back stating, ¡°Looks like we¡¯re all ready to head out then. Off we go.¡±


    And with that, we were on our way. Sir Bryan was in a good mood as was Mileka. Truth be known, I also was in high spirits. By the middle of the day we had shared our story with Mileka and heard hers as well. She was surprised to hear we aimed to slay a dragon though. Her look soured a bit when Sir Bryan explained that. Mileka promised to bury our corpses if the dragon didn¡¯t outright eat us or something. That let the air out of our sails a little. So I asked her if she knew any information which might help us survive an encounter with a dragon.


    After a few moments of contemplation, she explained, ¡°I really don¡¯t have any knowledge about dragons or how to fight them but I do know someone who might help you. We can search them out on the way as they live to the northwest a bit from here. It might be well worth going out of our way to speak with them if it helped you accomplish your goals.¡±


    We both agreed heartily with her there. Especially if it meant we survived because of it.


    I replied, ¡°It¡¯s agreed then. We¡¯ll swing by to speak to your friend then on the way.¡±